Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a common vegetable in parts of Asia and has been used historically to treat diabetes. Constituents from bitter melon were shown to have anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to inhibit enzymes needed for carbohydrate breakdown and glucose absorption in the gut.² Two meta-analyses that each included four trials found bitter melon had no significant effects on HgbA1c or blood glucose levels.^3,4 A more recent meta-analysis that included ten trials found positive effects on glycemic control, but noted the evidence was primarily from low-quality studies.⁵ One placebo-controlled trial with 24 participants with type 2 diabetes found taking 2,000 mg of bitter melon per day for three months resulted in reductions in weight, body fat, waist circumference, and HgbA1c, and improved blood glucose control and insulin secretion in response to glucose.⁶ A ten-week trial with 95 participants with type 2 diabetes compared bitter melon extract (2,000 mg per day) to the anti-diabetes drug glyburide (DiaBeta®, 5 mg per day); bitter melon was more effective at lowering cardiac risk but not as effective at lowering blood glucose levels.⁷

 

Bitter herbs are thought to stimulate digestive function by increasing saliva production and promoting both stomach acid and digestive enzyme production.⁸ As a result, they are particularly used when there is low stomach acid but not in heartburn (where too much stomach acid could initially exacerbate the situation). These herbs literally taste bitter. Some examples of bitter herbs include greater celandine, wormwood, gentian,dandelion, blessed thistle, yarrow, devil’s claw, bitter orange, bitter melon, juniper, andrographis, prickly ash, and centaury.⁹. Bitters are generally taken either by mixing 1–3 ml tincture into water and sipping slowly 10–30 minutes before eating, or by making tea, which is also sipped slowly before eating.